Lock latch



Nov. 28, 1939.

M. H. WELLS LOCK LATCH Filed May 29, 1956 I8 INVENTOR Nhlron H.We||s Y HIS T -ORNEY til Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNIT'ED STATES} PAT EN T oFFic 2,181,289 LOCK LA'ron Milton H. Wells, Scarsdale, N. Y. Application .May 29, 1936, Serial No. 82,410 .1 Claim. (01. 232-411) My present invention relates to looks and latches and more particularly to an improved combined container and lock.

My present invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with containers, such as milk bottle containers, where the container is to have placed therein some time during the night or early morning one or more full bottles of milk,

by a person who ordinarily will not have access to the container by means of a key. The key to the container will ordinarily be held in the possession of the householder who at the proper time will manipulate the look by means of such key and remove the filled milk bottles. therefrom, and then either leave the container empty or place therein empty milk bottles. It is therefore necessary to have a container so constructed and arranged that when no milk bottles are in the container, or if in the container, are empty, the cover thereof will not be placed in locked condition and may be opened or closed at any time. I

When, however, full milk bottles are placed within the container the lock must be placed in such condition that upon subsequent closing of the cover, such cover will be retained in locked position until the lock is manipulated by means of a key.

A feature of my invention is an improved combined container and locking device therefor.

A feature of my invention is an improved locking latch.

Another feature of my invention is an improved locking latch for a container and in combination with means for manipulating the locking latch.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container and locking latch therefor embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken on the 1ine'2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, and.

Fig. 4 is a detailof the locking latch.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a cas-' ing of any suitable type and adapted to contain any suitable material, but as shown, such container is preferably rectangular in shape and is adapted to have placed therein a plurality of milk bottles as indicated by the reference numeral II. Such container II! is provided witha hinged cover I2 and. which cover has attached to the under face thereof by rivets I3 a lock catch I4. The lock catch I4 cooperates with a lock bolt I5 forming a part of a lock I6.

The container I0 has hingedly mounted therein on one wall thereof adjacent the bottom, a

false bottom H. The free end of the false bottom I! is provided at each end with a spacing member I8 for maintaining the same substantially parallel to the bottom of the container I0 when mil-kbottles are placed on the false bottom. Sur- 5 rounding each of the spacing members IB is a coil spring I9 which tends to rotate the free end of the false bottom I! upwardly about the hinge connection.

Formed on the false bottom I1 substantially intermediate the ends thereof are spaced ears 2B in which is pivotally mounted the lower end of a rod 2I. The rod 2| extends upwardly and is slidably mounted in a guideway 22 secured to the inner face of the front wall of the container 7 I0 and such rod 2| terminates at a point adjacent to the lock I6.

The lock I6 may be of any desired type, in the present instance the usual ward type, in which there is pivotally mounted at its lower end the v lock bolt I5. Such lock bolt is provided with a bevelled surface 23 with which the lower end of the lock catch I4 may engage and with a notch 24 which engages with the lock catch I4 to lock the cover I2 in locked position. Also the bolt I5 is provided with a lateral extension 25 which extends through a slot formed in the casing of the lock I6 and terminates at a point adjacent to but slightly above the rod 2I, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.- Also the bolt I5 is provided with a bevelled face 26 which is adapted to be engaged by a pin 21 mounted on and movable with the bolt plate 28 of the lock I6. The bolt I5 is constantly urged to rotate in a clockwise direction about its pivot point by a spring 29. The bolt plate 28 is operated by the usual key which operates the wards 30 and is moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 thereby moving the pin 21 downwardly, and such'pin engaging with the bevelled surface 26 rotates the bolt I5 in a counter-clockwise direction to remove the notch 24 from engagement with the lock catch I4 thus permitting the opening of the cover I2.

When the milk bottles I I are empty, or are removed from the container I0, the springs I9 rotate thefalse bottom I'I so as to move the same and therefore the rod 2I upwardly, and the upper end of such rod 2| engaging with the lateral extension 25 will rotate the bolt I5 in a counter-clockwise direction so as to maintain the notch 24 thereof out of engagement or out of the path of movement of the lock catch I4 while the above conditions prevail. It is therefore possible for the owner of the container I0 after having opened the container, to remove the full milk bottles II, and to either leave the container l empty or put in such container empty milk bottles II and to then remove the operating key and yet leave the interior of the container accessible to the milkman or other authorized person.

Immediately the milkman or other authorized person places within the container l0 filled milk bottles II or other merchandise suflicient in weight to compress the springs 19 and lower the level of the false bottom I! within the container, the rod 2| will be moved downwardly out of engagement with the lateral extension 25 and thereby permit the spring 29 to rotate the bolt l5 in a clockwise direction and into position to have the notch 24 thereof engage with the lock catch I4. If however, the cover 12 is not at this time closed, the latch 15 will be in its locking position but the movement of closing the cover 12 will cause the lock catch M to ride on the bevelled surface 23 of such bolt I5 and will move the bolt against the tension of the spring 29 surficient to allow the the lock catch I4 to ride into engagement with the notch 24."

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may form, a guideway secured to the front of the container and engaging with the operating rod intermediate its ends for constraining and guiding the operating rod to move in a vertical path,

a lock mounted on the front face of the container, a pivotally mounted lock bolt forming a part of said look, a lateral projection on said lock bolt for rotating the same, said projection on the lock bolt lying normally in the path of movement of the operating rod and physically disconnected therefrom and out I of engagement therewith when the platform is in its lowermost position, and adapted to be engaged by said operating rod to rotate the said lock bolt to unlocked position when the platform is moved from its lowermost to its uppermost position.

MILTON H. WELLS. 

